Knitting machine and method



Oct. 28, 1952 LEvlN 2,615,319

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed June 24, 1947 2 SI'IEETSSHEET 1 V I I1? M a ll q i F I 1-? H 1-H Fig.2

Oct. 28, 1952 LEVlN 2,615,319

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed June 24, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fig.5.

Patented Oct. 28, 1952 I $615,319 KNIHRTING- MACHINE AND METHOD Nam Leviny'lrenton, N. J; Original application June 24, 1947, Serial No;

756,694.] Dividedand this applicationMal-ch 2; I 1949., Serial No. 79,181

This invention is concerned with a newknitte'd fabric formed of a weft bodyyarn an'dof individual walewise extending pattern Wrap arns, selectively interknit with andplated on the bodyya'rn stitches to form a design. and with a new method of operating an indepen'dent needle. knitting. inachine to make the said new fabric.

It is an objectof this new invention to. provide a new rib knitted fabric,.preferably but notnecessarily tubular, formed of a weft. body yarnand of individual walewise extending pattern'wrap yarns which are selectively plated on "the body'yarn stitches and which form' loops ofwrapyarn'onl y interknit with said plated loops.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new method of operating an independent needle rib knitting machine, preferably but not. necessarily circular, in which the. needles and'the' plating wrap fingers are operated. to. knit rib. courses of body yarn stitches selectively plated "with individual walewise extending vi'rrap. yarns and. in which the needles and the. plating wrap fingers are operated to knit stitches of wrap yarn only interknit with the said. plated stitches.

Other objects and-adyantagesof the invention will. be apparent from the followingde'scriptionof the inventionv taken. in connectionwith the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a stocking embodying the new fabric in the top.thereof,

Figure 2 illustrates the stitches in detail,

Figure 3 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the method of operating the needles and the fingers,

Figure 4 illustratesthe position of the needles and fingers online l-4 of Figure 3,.arj1d Figure 5 illustrates thepositionof the needles and fingers on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 1. there is a stocking 6 having the usual leQandfodt and a top I deco.- rated with the diamond shaped patterns 8. Ob.- viously the-patterned area'may beof anyselected .sizeor shape within the limits of thepatterning scope of the machine making the fabric... Preferably the top 7 is of rib fabric. and is of seamless tubular construction but the invention is not so limited, as the novel stitch construction, being within a wale, is applicable to. plain weft jersey fabric as well and obviously is also, applicable to fiat knit fabric whether of rib or of jersey construction. It ispreferable to use rib fabric as the intervening rib Wales tend to overcome the lengthening of the plain wales where the double wrap yarn stitches,;one plated, and one of wrap yarn only, are selectively incorporated within a single course of the rib fabric, as 'will be explained;

In Figure, 2. an enlarged diagrammatic. view of the stitches of a portion of, the. :-fabric. of the top 1, including.the-designh is shown. Illustrated isqa-rib fabric composed-.otthe plain outside wales 22' Claims. (C1. 66'--13.5)

absent'from the course a and m andthe'inside rib wales m and i2 an 7 formed of. the weft. bodyyarn L3. The rib wales H and {-2 contain stitches of the weft body yarn I3, exclusively whereas. the plain wales. Q and it contain stitches of the weft body yarn l3 and of the walewise. extendingpatterning. wrap yarns Hi I and 1.5; respectively .indiuidualto the wales 9 andiil, The section of] fabric shown in F igiir'e 2 has fivecomtalete-cdur'ss 16, l1, l8; l9 and 1213' of the. weft. body yarn. l3,.:each four Wales in width. In the wale 9., in'course. I6 thereoia plated stitch 2.lof the wrap yam M. on the-body yarn i3. is formed, thisplated stitch 2 [being the beginning of. the patterning in. this wale. in l igure andone of Wrap yarn I4 only,.in.the single course 1 I 6 in which there. are singlestitches ofweftbody yarn 13 only. in the waleslli, H and It. In. the \vale lll ,'in the cou'rseifi thereohit will beseen that. the wrap yarn [5' is. not interknitted but floats rearwardly thereof; the patterning being .16. and starting. in the course [1.

Referringnow to Wale 9. again, it w be seen that thendouble. wrap stitchstructure] plated stitch 2.l. and wrap stitch 22,,-.of course -16 issree peated in the courses .11 I8 and [(9 and that in the course 28 there are no wrap'stitches, the wrapyarn l4 floatin rcarwardly fthe body yarn stitch therein. The wrap yarn it continues to of fabric the wrap yarn has beenaforrned. into eight stitches, four of which" are plated' on. the body yarn and four of which are of wrap-yarn only, with a plated Wrap stitch and a stitch, of wrap yarn only drawn thereth'rough in; .each

course. i

In the wale [0 the patterning is. in thecourses l1 and I8 and in each-of these courses thereare the. plated stitches 2|, of the. wrap yarn when the body yarn l3 and the stitches 22 of. the wrap yarnv l5 only. In thecou-rses precedingand-succeeding the courses I! and-l8 the wrap yarn i5 floats rearwardly'of the fabric courses until it is again selectively knitted into the 'wale 15 at points where patterning is desired.

It will be seen thereforethat in those plain wales. where the wrap. yarns are selectively knits ted there are twice the number ofistitchesper course than are knitted in each of. the rib wales or in the nonpatterned plain wales, and that for a given length of fabric the overall length of each wale is substantially the same, the extra stitches of the wrap yarns being forced to open wider than the stitches of the body yarn and-- being forced toward each other walewise due to no body yarn is fed and knitting takesplace only the lesser number of stitches in the intervening rib wales. Thus the plated stitches and the stitches of wrap yarn only interknit therewith "in a single course are forced into a raised or embroidered relation to the body'fabric and pro- I vide an upstanding pattern which is more effective than a pattern composed only of wrap plated stitches or a pattern composed only of stitches of the fingers of an independent circular rib knitting machine to form the fabric will now be described. The relation of the cylinder needles 23 and the dial needles 24 is the same as in the usual circular independent needle rib machines. Fingers 25 equal in number to the cylinder needles 23 and individually associated therewith each carry a wrap yarn, such as I5 and I5, which yarns are likewise individually associated with a cylinder needle. These fingers 25 are disposed within slots in a finger cylinder in the relation to the needles 23 and 24 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fingers 25 are moved about their pivot points from a position of rest, which is induced by the spring 26, to the wrapping position of Figures 4 and 5, by means of the two finger operating cams 21 and 28, the return movement being made by the spring 26. The action of the finger ends adjacent the cylinder needle hooks to wrap a yarn around the same is well known in the art. 7

In Figure 3 there is adiagrammatic representation of the needles ofa circular knitting machine. The cylinder needles 23 when they follow the dotted line path 29 throughout are raised at feed A, which is the main knitting station, by the usual means to the level 3|, shown in Figure 4, where the old stitches of the body yarn l3 are knitted off and new stitches formed of the body yarn as the needles 23 take the same and are drawn by the stitch cam 30 down to the stitch forming level beneath the said cam. At this point, see Figure 4. the dial needles 24 are out. and take the body yarn l 3 to form rib stitches thereof in the usual way.

If it is desired to wrap selected cylinder needles 23 with wrap yarn at feed A, then the selecting means, here shown as an inclined design wheel 32, although any type of needle raising means may be used, raises selected needles such as 33 from the dotted line needle path 29 to the dot and dash line needle path 34 and thus the selected needles 33 reach the knitting level 3| at an earlier point than do the nonselected needles. At this earlier point the fingers 25 are all operated by the cam 21 and accordingly the raised selected needles are each wrapped with its associated wrap yarn by means of the finger wrapping action. The selected needles continue on and take the body yarn as described and following the path 29 beneath the stitch cam 30 knit plated stitches of wrap yarn on body yarn at the same time that the nonselected cylinder needles and the dial needles knit only the body yarn., I I

At feed B, which is anauxiliary knitting station, the dial needles are withdrawn to the position of Figure 5 and do not knit. At this feed on the needles which were selected at feed A,

n this knitting being done with wrap yarn only.

As the cylinder needles approach feed B along the needle .path' 29 after having passed under stitch cam" 30, a second needle selection is made by an inclined design wheel 35, which is similar to the means employed at feed A, to raise to the level 3| at feed B, only the same needles 33 which were raised at feed A where they knitted plated wrap stitches thereon. The selected raised needles 33 now follow the dot dash line needle path 34 at feed B and as they pass beneath the finger cam 28 the latter actuates all of the fingers 25, to the'position of Figure 5, to again wrap the same yarn around the same selected needles 33. The selected needles continue on and join the needle path 29 to pass beneath the stitch cam 36 thus knitting stitches of the wrap yarn only through the plated wrap stitches formed on these selected needlesat the feed A. The stitch cam 36 is the normal cam on the machine used for drawing down all the cylinder needles in making the welt. It will be obviousthat at feed B the dial needles being in withdrawn position do not knit and that the nonselected cylinder needles which follow the dotted line needle path 29 likewise do not knit as the path 29 at feed B does not go high enough to clear the old loops below the needle latches, only the selected needles being raised by the design wheel 35 to a position to clear their plated loops below their latches and to take wrap yarns, prior to the knitting of the same under the stitch drawing cam 36.

The above described action continues at feeds A and B to make the double wrap rib patterned fabric previously described. Where no pattern is desired there is no needle wrapping action at feeds A and B and only the usual rib knitting takes place at feed A and no knitting at all takes place at feed B.

It will be noted in the fabric that the first wrap stitch is the plated stitch 2| through which the stitch of wrap yarn 22 is drawn. If however in starting a pattern a wrap stitch is formed at feed B on a selected needle before that needle forms a plated stitch at feed A that then the first. wrap stitch in a patterned Wale will be of wrap yarn only followed by a plated stitch which 'in turn will be followed by a stitch of wrap yarn only. It is immaterial as to which type of wrap stitch is the first in the series within each w-ale of patterned wrap stitches.

It is within the scope of the present invention to have more than the two wrap stitches per course as the patterning stitch structure. This can be done by duplicating the feed Bso that there are two feeds B to a single feed A in which event each feed B will form a stitch of the wrap yarn only on the selected needle which forms a plated stitch at feed A, so that within each course there will be three wrap stitches, one plated and two of wrap yarn only. The order of the feeds may be such as to knit, in each course, first the plated stitch followed by the two stitches of wrap yarn only or to knit first a stitch of wrap yarn only followed in turn by a plated stitch and then by another stitch of wrap yarn only. Accordingly the number of wrap stitches per course of fabric will depend "5 upon how .-;many feeds: similar .to .B are: placed on themachine toaeach regular-feed A. thereon.

Thisinvention is an improvementover United States PatentsxNo. 1,907,185 and .No. 1,936,024. The present: application. is a divisionzof'application Serial No. 756,694. fileddunexzd,19457,.now Patent No. .2;515,'720;,

I claim:

1. A method of knitting on a circular series of independent cylinder and dialneedles to knit weft body yarn and wrap yarnsuindividu-ally associated with the cylinder needles, including knitting the body 'yarnon the series-of cylinder and dial needles at a knitting station, knittin wrap yarns on theirgcylinder needles at thesame knitting station, and knitting, only wrap'yarns on their cylinder needles at another knitting station.

2. A method of knitting-on-a circularseries; of independent cylinder and. dial needles to knit weft :body yarn and wrap, yarns individually associated with the cylinder needles, including knitting the body yarn on the series of cylinder and dial needles and of knitting'wrap yarns on their cylinder needles at-a knitting station, and simultaneously knitting only 'wrap yarns on their cylinder needles at another knitting station.

3. A method, of knitting on a circular series of independent cylinder needles to knit weft body yarn and wrap yarns individually associated with the cylinder needles, including knitting the :body yarn on the series of cylinder needles at a knitting station, knitting wrap yarns on their cylinder needles-at the same knitting ,station, and knitting only wrap yarns .on their cylinder needles at another-knitting station.

4. A method of knitting on a circular series of independent cylinder and, dial needles toknit weft body yarnand wrap yarns individually associated with the cylinder needles, including knitting rib fabric of the body yarn on the series of cylinder and dial needles at a knitting station, knitting wrap yarns on their cylinder needles together with the body yarnat-the same knitting station during rib fabric knitting, and knitting, only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles at another knitting station during, rib fabric knitting.

5. A method of knitting-ona circular series; of independent cylinder and dial .needles .to knit Weft body yarn and wrap yarns individually associated with the cylinder needles, including knitting the body yarn on the Series of cylinder and dial needles at a knitting station to produce seamless tubular. ribfabric havingsuccessive fabric courses of stitches of the same body yarn, knitting wrap yarns .on their cylinder needles together with the body yarn at the same knitting station to produce plated stitches of .wrap yarn on body yarn for incorporation in the fabric, during its production, and knitting only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles-at anotherstation to produce stitches of wrapyarn interposed fbetween ,pairs. of walewise successive body yarn stitches for incorporation in thef-abric during its production.

6. A method ofxoperating a circular seriesof independent cylinder and dial needles to knit weft body yarn and Wrapyarns individually as.- sociated withv the cylinder needles, including operating theseries of cylinderv anddial needles to drawoutside plam,.and,.inside,-rib stitches of the body yarn, operating the cylinder needles 6 associated with wrap yarns:.-to draw plated out: ,sidegxplain stitches-of theirv wrap yarnszon the body yarn, .and operating thelast: mentioned cylinder needles to draw stitches of only; their wrap yarns,

7. A method of operating. a. circularv series of independent" cylinder anddial needles to :knit

weft body yarn and Wrap yarns individually associated with the cylinder "needles, including operatingtheseries of, cylinder and dial needles atzaknitting station to knit the body yarn into non-patternedseamless tubular rib fabric having successive fabric courses of outside plainand inside: rib stitches .of thesame body yarn, operating cylinder needles associated with Wrap yarns,:-at.the sameqknittingstation to knit'their wrap yarns-together with the body yarn to add patterning stitches of wrap yarnplated on outside plain body yarn stitches to the fabric, and operating cylinder needles associated with wrap yarns; at another knitting station to knit only their wrap ,yarns toadd patterning stitches of wrap yarn interposed between pairs of'walewise successive outside plain stitches of body yarn to the fabric.

.8. Inarcircular knitting-machine havingajcircular seriesv of independent cylinder needles, a main knitting stationadapted to feed weft body yarn, an auxiliary knitting station, means to feed wrap yarns .individually to cylinder needles: at each-of-said stations, means at said main station to knit said body yarn on said series of cylinder needles and to, knit said wrap yarns on their cylinder needles, and means at said auxiliary station to knit only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles.

9-. In a circular rib knitting machine having'a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a main knitting station adapted to feed Weft bodyyarn, aniauxiliary knitting station, means to feed wrapyarns individually to cylinder needles at each of said stations, means at said main station to knit said body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles and to knit said wrap yarns on their cylinderneedles, and means at said, auxiliary station to knit only wrap yarns on their cylinderneedles.

10. In a circular knitting machine having a circular seriesof independent cylinder needles,'a main-knitting station, an auxiliary knitting station, means to feed wrap yarns individually to cylinder. needles at each of said stations, means at said main station to knit a body yarn on said series of cylinder needles, a patterning device adapted to be made operable to cause selected cylinder needles toknit their wrap yarns at said main station, and means at'said auxiliary station includinga patterning device adaptedto be made operable-toknit onlyselected wrap yarns on their cylinder needles.

11.,Ina circular rib knitting machine havingja circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a. main. knitting station, an auxiliary knitting station, means to feed wrap yarns in.- dividuallyto cylinder needles at'each of said stations, means .at said, main station to. knit a body yarn .on said yseries'of cylinder. anddial needles, a patterning device-adapted to be made operable to cause selected cylinder needles to knit their wrap yarns at said main station, and means. at said auxiliary station including a. patterning device adapted to be made operable .to knit only selected wrap yarns on their cylinder. needles.

12. In a circular knitting machine having a circular-series oftindependent cylinder needles, a

pair 'of 'knitting stations; meansto feed wrap yarns individually to cylinder needles at each of said stations, means atone of said stations to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder needles and to knit said wrap yarns on their cylinder needles, and means at the other of said stations to knit only wrapyarns on their 'cylinder needles.

. 13. In a circular rib knitting machine having a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a pair of knitting stations, means to feed wrap yarns individually to cylinder needles at each of said stations, means'at one of said stations to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles and to knit said wrap yarns on their cylinderneedles, and means at the other of said stations to knit only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles. I

14. In a circular rib knitting machine of the type having a cylinder cam ring and dial cams rotatable relative to a cylinder and dial contain.- ing a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a main knitting station, an auxiliary knitting station on said cylinder cam'ring'cir cumferentially positioned where said dial cams normally maintain the dial needles in withdrawn inactive position, means to feed wrap yarns individually to cylinder needles at each of said stations, means at said main station to knit a Weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles, means to cause said body yarn to be knit withsaid wrap yarns on their cylinder needles at said main station, and means at said auxiliary station adapted to knit only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles.

15. In a circular rib knitting machine of the type'having a cylinder cam ring and dial cams rotatable relative to a cylinder and dial containing'a circular series of independent'cylinder and dial needles, a main knitting station, an auxiliary knitting station'on the cylinder cam ring circumferentially positioned where said dial cams normally maintain the dial needles in Withdrawn inactive position, a circular series of independent wrap fingers, individually associated with the cylinder needles, means to actuate said Wrap fingers to feed individual wrap yarns to cylinder needles at each of said stations, means at said main station to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles, a design wheel adapted to be made operable to cause said body yarn to be knit with selected wrap yarns on their cylinder needles at said main station, and means at said auxiliary station including a design wheel adapted to be made operable to knit onlS selected wrap yarns on their cylinder needles.

'16. In a circular rib knitting machine having a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, means to knit a Weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles to produce seamless tubular rib fabric having successive fabric courses of the same body yarn, said fabric courses containing wales of outside plain and insiderib stitches of body yarn, means to feed wrap yarns individually to the cylinder needles, said machine having means to knit said wrap yarns. to produce outside plain plated stitches of wrap yarns on body yarn for incorporation in said fabric during its production, said machine also having means to knit said wrap yarns to produce outside plain wrap yarn stitches interposed between pairs of walewise successive outside plain body yarn stitches for incorporation in said fabric during its production. it lf ZnIn a circular rib knitting machinev of the type having a cylinder cam ring and dial cams rotatable relative to a cylinder and dial containing a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a main knitting station, an auxiliary knitting station on said cylinder cam ring circumferentially positioned where said dial cams normally maintain the dial needles in Withdrawn inactive position, a circular series of independent 'wrap fingers individually associated with the cylinder needles, means to actuate said wrap fingersito feed yarns individually to their cylinder needles at each of said stations, means at said main station to knit a weft bo'dy yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles, a design wheel adapted to be made operable to cause selected cylinder needles to specially knit said body yarn at said main station, and means at said auxiliary station including a design wheel adapted to be made operableto knit only selected wrap yarns on their cylinder needles.

18. In a circular rib knittin machine having a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, means to feed wrap yarns individually to the cylinder needles, a main knitting station having means to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles and to knit said wrap yarns on their cylinder needles to produce outside plain and inside rib stitches of body yarn with stitches of wrap yarn plated on outside plain body yarn stitches, and an auxiliary knit ting station having means to knit only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles to produce stitches of wrap yarn interposed between pairs of walewise successive outside plain body yarn stitches knit at said main station. I

19. In a circular rib knitting machine having a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, means to feed wrap yarns individually to the cylinder needles, a knitting station having means to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles to produce seamless tubular rib fabric having successive fabric courses of the same body yarn, said fabric courses containing outside plain and inside rib stitches of body yarn, and means to knit said wrap yarns at least twice on their cylinder needles during the knitting of each said fabric course, to produce at least two walewise successive wrap yarn chain stitches interlooped with individual outside plain body yarn stitches of each said fabric course.

20. In a circular rib knitting machine of the type having a cylinder cam ring and dial cams rotatable relative to a cylinder and dial containing a circular series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a main knitting station, an auxiliary knitting station on said cylinder cam ring circumferentially positioned where said dial cams normally maintain the dial needles in withdrawn inactive position, means to feed wrap yarns individually to cylinder needles at each of said stations, said stations being simultaneously operable so that said main station operates to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles and to knit wrap yarns on their cylinder needles at the same time that said auxiliary station operates to knit only wrap yarns on their cylinder needles. I v

2 1. In a circular rib knitting machine of the t -pe having a cylinder cam ring and dial cams rotatable relative to a cylinder and dial containing a series of independent cylinder and dial needles, a main knitting station to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles to produce seamless tubular rib fabric having successive fabric courses of the same body yarn, said fabric courses containing outside plain and inside rib stitches of body yarn, means to feed wrap yarns individually to the cylinder needles, a patterning device adapted to be made operable to cause selected cylinder needles to knit their Wrap yarns in addition to said body yarn at said main station to produce outside plain plated stitches of wrap yarn on body yarnduring the production of said fabric, an auxiliary knitting station on said cylinder cam ring circumferentially positioned where said dial cams normally maintain the dial needles in withdrawn inactive position holding the inside rib stitches of body yarn knit at said main station, and means at said auxiliary station including a patterning device adapted to be made operable to knit only selected wrap yarns on their cylinder needles, to

produce stitches of wrap yarn interposed between pairs of walewise successive outside plain body yarn stitches knit at said main station during the production of said fabric.

22. In a circular rib knitting machine of the type having a cylinder cam ring and dial cams rotatable relative to a cylinder and dial containing a series of independent cylinder and dial needles; a main knitting station to knit a weft body yarn on said series of cylinder and dial needles to produce seamless tubular rib fabric having successive fabric courses of the same body yarn, said fabric courses containing outside plain and inside rib stitches of body yarn, means tofeed wrap yarns individually to the cylinder needles, a patterning device adapted to be made operable to cause selected cylinder needles to knit their wrap yarns in addition to said bodyyarn at said main station to produce outside .plain plated stitches of wrap yarn on body yarn during the production of said fabric, an auxiliary knitting station on said cylinder cam ring circumferentially positioned where said dia1- cams normally maintain the dial needles in withdrawn inactive position holding the inside rib stitches of body yarn knit at said main station, and means at said auxiliary station including a patterning device 1 adapted to be made operable to knit only selected wrap yarns on their cylinder needles to produce stitches of wrap yarn drawn through said outside plain plated stitches of wrap yarn on body yarn knit at said main station during the production of said fabric.

NATHAN LEVIN.

REFERENCES CI ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 1,666,784 Larkin Apr. 17,1928 1,772,400 Larkin Aug. 5,1930 1,907,185 Levin May;2, 1933 1,936,024 Levin Nov. 21, 1933 2,082,127 Sirmay' June 1, 1937 2,156,185 Levin Apr. 25, 1939 2,214,021 Hill Sept. 10, 1940 2,411,422

Grothey T Nov. 19,1946 

